Tuesday, February 5, 2008

The Barber who changed my mind

I’d heard about a scam going around barbershops. It’s not really a scam,but more of way to siphon more money out of clients. The $5 haircut that I got as a boy had suddenly become the $20 heist.

Here’s what I’d heard. Barbers cut a head and would then use the razor to edge up a client without asking.

Black Da Champ

When the cut was over, the barber would stick out his hand and say, “That’ll be $20.” The razor edge upped the price of the cut. Knowing this, and me being the frugal kat that I am, I always told barbers I was good without the razor edge.

But recently, I was in Master Touch on Lawrenceville Highway in Tucker, Ga. I walked in and was very unassuming. It had been almost two weeks since my last cut, so I was looking pretty rough. Shirt hanging out, old black pants. I was not very impressive looking at all.

There was a barber in the shop tightening up his beard. Another barber was in the corner playing chess feeding a little girl a bottle. I think it was his daughter.

I jumped in the chair, barber didn’t say too much in the way of conversation. He seemed to be concentrating on my oversized cranium. He danced back and forth, side to side, trying to get a look at the hairline on my forehead. I didn’t tell him it was crooked, I wanted to see if he would catch it, or if he would jack it up. He caught it.

But half way through the cut, I could see that the dude knew what he was doing. He started feeling his craft. “Hey Slim,” the barber said to his colleague playing chess. “I’m cold on this clipper game dog. I’m so cold.”

He was pretty good, I’ll admit. Almost done, he said to me, “You might want to whistle when you go in the house, so yo’ lady will know it’s you.”

And then he switched it up on me. Before I could say anything, he whipped out the razor and was lining me up. I almost stopped him, but he was too quick on the draw, so I let him finish.

And when he was done…I was the newest fan of a razor edge. My man did his thing in a big way. Even Slim sitting in the corner, working his way to a checkmate, was slightly impressed. “Let me see your next one,” Slim said. “You might have gotten lucky on that one.”

I had to give it up to him. My money and his props. When I got home, my wife noticed a difference and my sister said it looked like a Steve Harvey line.

But this is not about a good haicrcut and a big price tag. It’s about the fact the barbershops are places of change. You go in one way and come out another. It may be a haircut, shave or a frame of mind. What I loved about the cut, is that the barber didn’t have any preconceived notions about me. Didn’t judge what I was or what I did. He simply gave me, what I think, was the best haircut he could.

And now, Black Da Champ has changed me into believing that the razor edge is sho’ nuff the way to go.

Ask your barber how he or she can help you change your ways. In the mean time, check out those boys over at Maser Touch. 4004 Lawrencville, Hwy Tucker, GA 30084.Shop 770-938-9933Black Da Champ 678-754-6362